Palin claims Chick-Fil-A boycott has ‘chilling effect’ on First Amendment?

01Aug

According to news reports, former Republican Tea Party (GOTP) vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin said during another softball question interview on Fox News, that she fully supported Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy’s decision (of course Dan Cathy isn’t really the president of the company his father is – but when has Sarah ever worried about facts?) to publicly express his anti-gay marriage views and claimed the resulting backlash against the company was an affront to free speech.

“Well, that calling for the boycott is a real — has a chilling effect on our 1st Amendment rights,” Palin whined to Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren. “And the owner of the Chick-fil-A business had merely voiced his personal opinion about supporting traditional definition of marriage, one boy, one girl, falling in love, getting married. And having voiced support for kind of that cornerstone of all civilization and all religions since the beginning of time, he then basically [is] getting crucified.”

Isn’t it interesting how the “owner” has a right to express his views (under the First Amendment) but no one can object to them? Is a boycott not a legitimate form of political speech? If corporations are people, then can’t other people decide not to associate with that person if they so choose?

“I’m speaking up for him and his 1st Amendment rights and anybody else who would wish to express their not anti-gay people sentiment, but their support of traditional marriage, which President Obama and Joe Biden, they both supported the exact same thing until just a few months ago, when Obama had to flip-flop to shore up the homosexual voter base,” Palin bemoaned.

Ah yes, the old “Obama had to shore up his Gay voter base” because they might go flooding over to the GOTP? Once more, isn’t it funny how conservatives – like Romney – can have his ideas or beliefs evolve, rather than flip-flop, but Liberals can’t. The President by-the-way hasn’t said he supports federal intervention; rather he said it should be left up to the states to decide.

Of course every conservative talking face on FOX has rallied to the restaurant’s defense, with former GOTP presidential wannabe Mike Huckabee organizing a “Chick-fil-A Apprectiation Day“.

Wherever anyone stands on Gay Marriage, the idea boycotting a company, or protesting some wing-nut’s ideas is bad for the First Amendment is just plain stupid. Only someone as ignorant of what the Bill of Rights is really about like Palin would say that; just one more piece of evidence demonstrating just how blessed we are that she isn’t the Vice-President.